The human mind, and the way it catastrophizes and magnifies fears, is the main cause of panic attacks. Thinking, and the anxiety and fear it produces in response to situations that may not warrant such exaggeration, can therefore be enough to cause panic and anxiety. It is true that a person does not necessarily have to experience anxiety before having a panic attack. Someone may wake from sleep and have one, feeling as though they are about to lose their life because they are experiencing 150 psychological and physical symptoms at once.

What are panic attacks?

Panic is a state of intense fear accompanied by a group of symptoms that appear simultaneously and produce clear physical effects. The person may feel as though they are fighting for their life because of an intense fear that is sometimes justified and sometimes not. It may be justified when connected to difficult memories or circumstances the person has experienced. In most cases, however, the reaction is far greater than the cause of the panic attack, and people lose control of themselves. Many people experience one or two such attacks in their lifetime, but recurring attacks are called panic disorder, which is a type of anxiety. Panic disorder makes a person prone to anxiety even when there is no justification for it.

What are the symptoms of panic attacks?

  1. A rapid heartbeat.
  2. Chills and trembling.
  3. Overwhelming feelings of fear and the resulting sense of danger.
  4. Sweating.
  5. Stomach disturbances.
  6. Dizziness that may progress to fainting.
  7. Difficulty breathing, a feeling of suffocation, and chest pain.
  8. Head pain and headaches.
  9. Feeling unable to connect with reality and what is happening in the present moment.

How long does a panic attack last?

Panic attacks and their accompanying symptoms last from five to twenty minutes. They may continue longer, depending on the intensity of the panic and terror you feel and the severity of the symptoms they produce. Despite the fears caused by the symptoms accompanying a panic attack, panic attacks are not classified as dangerous because they do not cause physical harm. Their symptoms are temporary and disappear once the fear and panic subside. They rarely lead to a critical health condition requiring a hospital visit.

Are panic attacks a mental illness?

When the symptoms accompanying panic attacks are severe and recurrent, they are described as panic disorder. It is worth noting that panic attacks are of two types: recurrent and non-recurrent. The recurrent type is the one that develops into a disorder. Experiencing a panic attack therefore does not necessarily mean that a person has panic disorder. When the attacks recur, are severe, and persistently accompany the person, the condition reaches the stage of a mental disorder.

Accordingly, severe and recurrent panic attacks have been classified among mental disorders. It should be noted that panic attacks may constitute a mental disorder in themselves or may accompany other mental disorders. A person may experience panic attacks without previously having had symptoms of panic attacks, or they may have other mental disorders.

How can panic attacks be overcome?

A panic attack can be overcome by:

  1. Helping the patient understand what a panic attack is: The patient should be aware that the symptoms they are experiencing are symptoms of a panic attack.
  2. Seeking help and consultation: Others should help and support the person during the attack. When someone having a panic attack goes to the hospital, doctors usually tell them they have no physical symptom. This may lead relatives and family members to think that the person is pretending to be ill, even though the person has genuinely gone through the experience. It is important, first, to believe them and, second, to educate the patient medically. Doctors should give the person medical information about their body and explain what happened to it during the attack so they understand what they experienced.
  3. Reassuring the patient that the attack is over, that they are safe and that their heart and breathing are fine again.
  4. Giving the patient fluids.
  5. Helping the patient breathe consciously and calmly, so the lungs can relax and oxygen can circulate properly through the body again.
  6. Encouraging the patient to do light exercise, because it can help reduce the severity of panic-attack symptoms.
  7. Psychotherapy and medication.

The patient needs psychotherapy and counseling sessions, as well as medication, if the symptoms accompanying the panic attacks are severe and recurrent.


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